Here’s Lookin At You Cook, Louisa Shafia

posted in: Profiles | 3

Remember that old adage that dinner parties are contagious? I’ve enjoyed it this fall handsomely, with friends throwing impromptu gatherings and potlucks each weekend. But I was really excited when Louisa Shafia, author of Lucid Food and The New Persian Kitchen, offered to demonstrate tahdig at one dinner party, on a very cold Saturday. I’ve been a longtime fan of Louisa’s smart and conscientious cooking, but never seem to get into the kitchen with her. Fortunately, my friends Dave and Karol … Read More

Here’s Lookin’ At You Cook, Hiroko Shimbo

posted in: Profiles, Recipes | 4

It is humbling to enter the home of a world-renowned authority on food such as Hiroko Shimbo. The week before Thanksgiving, I was listening to WNYC and heard the author, chef and food consultant chime in about how the Japanese squash variety kabocha was an excellent choice for making “pumpkin” pie from scratch, for its sweet, nutty flavor and creamy texture. Two weeks later, thanks to some generosity of her publicists, I was standing in her home kitchen in New … Read More

From Homeland to Heartland: Support Mumford Farms, A Documentary on Food

posted in: NYC Events, Profiles | 3

There’s a lot of excitement in the city, but sometimes you have to step back from it for a while to see the big picture behind the Big Apple. That’s what happened to Anna Mumford, who’s working on a documentary film, Mumford Farms, now in its final leg of fundraising. After working tirelessly for various food justice causes and filming urban farms, local food advocates and events, she took a stint on her family’s farm in Indiana, and came back … Read More

A Chat With Feast Upon Founder, Quinn Fitzgerald

posted in: Profiles | 5

Since starting this blog, I’ve been on a mission to explore all sorts of ways (and reasons) to enjoy a home-cooked meal in the city. And I’m impressed by the variety of them that seems to grow every day. Furthermore, many of them share the same values about food — fresh, seasonal, and conscientiously produced. Here’s one great revelation that’s come to home cooking in Brooklyn, a new start-up by Quinn Fitzgerald called Feast Upon.

Here’s Lookin’ At You Cook, Jacques Gautier

posted in: Profiles, Recipes | 0

If you have attended a tasting event held by the Greenmarket, Edible Manhattan/Brooklyn or Just Food, chances are you’ve seen Jacques Gautier. He’s the guy flipping fresh masa tacos before the longest line of people waiting for a bite. Jacques also does this (as well as preparing a hearty menu of fresh, seasonally-inspired Latin cuisine) at his Park Slope restaurant, Palo Santo. As the chef/owner/rooftop gardener of the restaurant, he has a lot on his hands everyday. Yet he still … Read More

Here’s Lookin’ At You Cook (Paella), June Russell

I was at a backyard party in Brooklyn a few weeks ago hosted by my friend June. I’d been to her paella party at about this time of year last summer, and so I knew what kind of yumminess to expect from this event. I got there a little late, again. June was just adding the shellfish to a paella pan, plunking clams and mussels hinge side down into the rice. The wide, cast-iron pan was placed on top of … Read More

Help Healthy Bodega Initiative & Red Jacket Orchard Bring Local Produce to Bodegas

It’s summer. There’s produce, plenty of it local. It’s coming to supermarkets, restaurants and Greenmarkets throughout New York City. But one place you won’t hardly ever find it at is a bodega, those convenient, often round-the-clock shops where you can get toothpaste and telephone cards or tonight’s dinner of ramen and chips. Unfortunately, this is the only type of grocery store that exists in increasingly more communities here. That’s why the Healthy Bodegas Initiative was formed in 2005, aimed at … Read More

Win the How To Cook Everything iPhone App (and a conversation with Mark Bittman)

Just a year ago, I was the only kid at the SXSW Interactive conference without a smart phone; I wasn’t on Twitter; I rode a rusty bike to get around (at least until the chain broke), and I didn’t bother to bring my six-year-old PC laptop with me there, or anywhere, because it didn’t work unless it was plugged directly into an outlet. My philosophy was, “If it ain’t broke don’t replace it,” and my pride, making the best of … Read More

Bike to the Potluck!: A Q&A with Aaron and Robert of Bikeloc

I get off on people doing really bold, honest and active projects with the best of their integrity and muscle. When they happen to involve potlucks, bike riding and healthy, local food, I kind of go all apeshit with appreciation. So I’m very excited to share with you what Aaron Zueck and Robert DuBois are embarking on this summer. Bikeloc is what these two friends are calling their summer-long bike tour across America, in which they hope to connect with … Read More

Here’s Lookin’ at You Cook, Mike Betit

posted in: Profiles | 7

There were many things that blew my socks off at a dinner Sunday night, held in a cozy Brooklyn ground-floor apartment. The basil-ricotta gnocchi was one of them. The lamb pot pies (above) were definitely another. But the one thing that really struck me the most was when, while casually biting off chunks of his garlic sauce-smothered lamb breast and duck fat confit hors d’oeuvres, Tamarack Hollow Farm founder/farmer Mike Betit said, “The first two years [of starting his farm], … Read More

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